Japan Team Successfully Test Engine for Mach 5 Aircraft, Eyeing 2HR Trip to US
8 hours ago
- #ramjet engine
- #aerospace engineering
- #hypersonic travel
- Japanese researchers successfully conducted the first combustion test of a ramjet engine for a Mach 5 experimental aircraft.
- The aircraft aims to reduce travel time between Japan and the US to two hours and could also reach space if equipped with a rocket engine.
- It would fly at an altitude of 25 km and a speed of about 5,400 km/h, using ordinary runways for horizontal takeoff and landing.
- Key challenges include stable engine operation in complex airflow and heat resistance for parts facing temperatures up to 1,000°C.
- Testing simulated Mach 5 flight at 25 km altitude, confirming engine and heat-resistance performance nearly as designed.
- Researchers target practical use in the 2040s, with development expected to take about 20 years through experimental and passenger aircraft stages.